Mumbai: Degree college teachers rush to cover syllabus in final semester

As a result of the state elections, some exams were postponed to after Diwali and some were conducted during it, so the university declared an extra week off in Christmas; teachers are now worried about finishing portion

Blame it on the state elections, or the unpreparedness of the Mumbai University, but degree colleges are having a tough time finishing the final semester syllabus. As some exams were conducted during the Diwali vacation, the university had declared an extra week off in Christmas vacations. Most colleges are busy with annual cultural fests at present and with Christmas vacations allowed till almost mid-January, teachers are worried they have less than two months to finish the portion for the current semester.

Most colleges are waiting for the university to declare the schedule for the next semester exams. File pic

Since the state Assembly elections were held in October, the university postponed exams for most degree college courses including BCom, BSc, Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM), Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), Bachelor in Accounting and Finance (BAF), etc. Of the 500 exams that the university conducts, 25 exams were set to begin between October 14 and 16.

All these had to be postponed, as the election commission required teachers as well as school and college campuses to set up polling booths. Students were unhappy that many exams were re-scheduled to begin after the Diwali vacations, which had to be cut short. BMS exams went on till almost mid-November and most colleges ended up giving five days to students after the exams were over.

“Our final semester lectures began only in the first week of December, and then immediately we got busy with our annual events including the inter college fest. With the Christmas vacations going on till January 12, we will have less than two months to finish the entire portion,” said Mehul Pandya, a final year BMM student. With some exams being held during Diwali vacations, university had declared that students would get an extra week of holiday during Christmas vacations. Most colleges will be shut for Christmas vacations till January 12.

Colleges are now waiting for the university to declare the schedule for the next semester exams, which are usually held between March and April.

“We are hoping the university will consider the time lost due to changing schedules and holidays and schedule exams accordingly. For the time being at least, we have ensured that we don’t miss any working day and conduct regular lectures so that students and teachers are not burdened with pending syllabus in the end,” said Shobana Vasudevan, principal of R A Podar College in Matunga.

Principalspeak

Since the winter holidays have been stretched almost till mid-January, I have asked my teachers to figure out a schedule and conduct extra lectures, if possible, during holidays. With so much time already gone, I don’t want students to run into trouble by the end of the semester. — Kavita Rege, Sathaye College